6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,” Deuteronomy 7:6-9
Growing up, I remember playing Basketball and Soccer with my friends and other classmates at recess and aftercare. I also remember being picked towards the end (perhaps you had that same experience). I remember the team captains looking at us, evaluating us, and deciding who would be the first pick. I can recall some other friends using their friendship as leverage to get picked sooner than others. That never worked for me. I remember always being picked towards the end. I cannot say that I was ever picked first (or early on, for that matter).
If anyone knew what that was like, it would be Israel. As a nation, they weren’t that impressive. They weren’t large by any means. They were slaves for over four hundred years. They didn’t have any great technological achievements, nor were they known as being great fighters or warriors. If Israel was invited to a game of playground soccer, they would be eyed up and down, and then picked last. They wouldn’t bring that much to the team. Others would certainly be a better choice than they would!
Then steps in God. He chooses Israel. He chooses little, unimportant, unimpressive Israel. He makes them His treasured possession. He makes them the first pick! Why does He choose them? He loves them. He keeps His promises (His promise made to Abraham that He would be his God, and that his descendants would be His people). God choses Israel because of His grace, and it is by His grace that He sustains that relationship.
Notice who does all the acting in these verses. It is God! He declares and makes them holy. He chooses them. He loves. He keeps His promises. He brings out of Egypt. He rescues. He redeems. He shows His steadfast love. Israel only responds to what God has done. Israel’s loving God and keeping His commandments is the response to the God Who first loved and saved them!
In our lives, we see the same dynamic. God chooses us. He makes us His own in baptism, and sustains us with His Word and Supper. He is the One Who makes us holy. He is the One Who chooses us. He is the One Who loves, keeps His promises, and saves from sin, death, and the devil. Again, it is God Who does it all. We just simply respond. Our believing and loving God is the response to the God Who loved and saved us!
In Christ,
Pastor Nick Kooi
(Originally published in Emmaus Footprints, Vol. XXV, Number 1, August 2023.)